Changing regional preferences for Top Business Schools

Business education has been evolving since the inception of the MBA in the late 19th century and is now innovating at a faster rate than ever before. -UNC

It used to be, that U.S Business schools were the prefered choice for an executive education. That appears to be changing as European schools are improving both in quality and Prestige. Testiment to that fact is that students are applying in droves. European citizens sat for 24,847 GMAT exams in TY 2012, an increase of 26 percent, or more than 5,000 exams, when compared with TY 2008. Business programs in Europe received a combined total of 93,127 score reports in TY 2012, a 45 percent increase over the 64,110 scores received in TY 2008.

The pressure on future senior executives to innovate, evolve and adapt will be unrelenting. With rapid advances in technology and global economic shifts, building the momentum to translate fresh ideas into reality can seem like an impossible task. By exploring the role of innovation across a range of industries and geographies, Business schools ensure that the next generation of students are well equiped to tackle these shifts. A Business insider article put it best :

“The value of a business school is not just about the quality of the professors. Or the “education.” Or the campus facilities.  Or any of the other things business schools love to brag about and most business school rankings focus on. 

These factors are obviously important.  But lots of schools have them.  And they’re hard to tell apart.  At the highest levels, moreover, there’s only one thing that really differentiates one business school from another: The amount the school will help your future career.”

Could it be, that potential students are pinpointing career value as eminating from Europe? There is certainly a lot going on, from the innovation angle.

Two European destinations that stand out for innovation in my opinion are the UK and Spain:

1. UK

Popular UK business schools are:

  • London Business School (LBS)
  • Judge School of Business at Cambridge University
  • Said School at Oxford University
  • Manchester Business School
  • City University London: Cass Business School*
  • Cranfield School of Management (Bedford)
  • Imperial College Business School (London)

*Cass Business School has a Centre for New Technologies, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CENTIVE) that has an interesting dual focus; New technologies, and the exploration of Theoretical and practical issues to do with clusters, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

2. Spain

Popular Spanish business schools are:

  • ESADE (Barcelona)*
  • Iese (Barcelona and Madrid)
  • IE Business School (Madrid)

*Esade recently released an artcle on social innovation you may find interesting here.

Image credit UNC Business School